Back to the Future
by The Symbol of Faith
Summary: There are time travel stories and then there are time travel stories. Middle school students and basketball players, the newly crowned Generation of Miracles, suddenly wake up to find themselves in their high school bodies. Just how have they aged two years in one night? And why have they split up into different schools? Suddenly, their lives have been turned upside down.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello! New story, yes. I know that** "The Oath" **is still in progress, but this plot bunny will just not leave my mind, so I wrote it down.**

 **Plus, this is far more easier to write than** The Oath **, considering that this will be 100% original with only a few canon references and plot-lines. So, yeah, expect faster updates for this one :)**

 **On another note - I've got exams going on. So, next update will be definitely after 22nd March and not before. That's it!**

 **Enjoy~**

 **.**

"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

.

Note: AU. Generation of Miracles are still friends. Akashi has two red eyes. Time Travel.

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

Kuroko had been on cloud nine the whole evening.

Teiko had won the Inter-Middle Championship twice in a row now and this time, he had played a part in bringing this victory home. Their captain, Nijimura Shuuzo, had been ecstatic beyond measure. Even Akashi-kun, who usually left them after the games, stayed back to celebrate and joined the post-match party thrown by Nijimura-senpai.

So, the seven of them – Akashi, Midorima, Aomine, Kuroko, Murasakibara, Kise and Momoi – along with the captain and the rest of the first string members had departed to find a good restaurant for dinner and eat their fill. They'd separated inside, no table large enough to hold nearly thirty of them, and began ordering. The Generation of Miracles had claimed a table at the corner for themselves and the rest of the first string players had left them alone, allowing them their privacy instead of crowding and congratulating them – they were the stars of the match after all.

After a while…

"Did ya see that last dunk I made?" Aomine said around a mouthful of takoyaki.

"Let's not forget who passed the ball, Dai-chan," Momoi slipped back to the old nickname in the company of her closest friends as she smiled winningly at Kuroko, "Without Tetsu-kun's marvellous pass, you wouldn't have gotten the ball!"

"Ha! That was nothing! That fade away I did at the end of third quarter was the best!" Kise, of course, did not miss a chance to compete with his rival and role model.

"Mine-chin and Kise-chin are forgetting who blocked most of their shots…"

"Hmph," Midorima huffed, patting a sand hour glass placed next to his plate, "if anything, it is my lucky item that ensured our victory,"

"There, there, all of us did extremely well in this match." And that was Akashi, diplomatic as ever as he placated them with an indulgent yet stern smile.

"If only Haizaki-kun was here," Kuroko began softly, "then it would have been all of us second years."

His words brought about a sudden silence among them. Haizaki was never really a pleasant topic, to be honest, especially because he seemed to care very little for the sport beyond using his inborn talent to steal moves. Why he was still on the team was a mystery, but he did seem to obey Nijimura – or perhaps the captain simply beat him into submission to attend practice and games – so that was fine. For now.

"Heh, he must have spent the whole time at some arcade," Aomine dismissed it, "His loss, really,"

They quickly devolved into chatters again, replaying the match word by word and even managed to get Akashi into a competitive mood to join in. Nearly an hour later; with their table cleaned up, stomachs filled and eyes drooping sleepily; they waited for their senpai to finish their meal to get ready and leave.

"Hey, what's that, Midorimachhi?"

"It's my lucky item, nanodayo," Midorima gave Kise a look, as if questioning his sanity; "You've seen me carry it all day round. What is the purpose of such a question?"

"No, not that!" Kise yawned slightly, stretching his hand across the table to pick up the hour glass, "This sand…it's strange. Doesn't it look…luminous? And white, too! Such strange, sparkling white sand!"

"White sand is not really that uncommon, Ki-chan," Momoi said even as she motioned for him to pass it to her so that she could take a better look.

Akashi, seated beside her, peered over her shoulder, "Hmm, I have to agree with Kise, Midorima. The sand does seem luminous. Where did you buy the hour glass from?"

"From just a random peddler on the street," Midorima replied with slight irritation. It was just sand, why was it so fascinating? To think even Akashi was getting hyped up over it, "I bought it from the first place I could as I made my way to the basketball stadium."

As the lucky item made its way around the table, passing through every member's hands much to the displeasure of Midorima, Kuroko quirked a small smile.

"Eh, what's that grin for, Tetsu?" Aomine asked him tiredly, slinging an arm around his shadow's neck as he tried to keep awake, "What's tickling ya now?"

"Nothing, Aomine-kun," Kuroko replied happily as he composed his face back into its normal deadpan, "Just, this feels nice…"

"Yeah," Aomine spoke up in realisation, "this is your first national win, right? Even though we won last year, it's still great ta win this time too!"

"Oh, that's true," Kuroko agreed, "but I meant _this_. Here, with everyone together, sharing this victory and laughing and joking together – this feels nice."

Aomine contemplated on that for a moment before giving up. He was too sleepy for Tetsu's philosophy right now and decided just to agree and be done with it, "Yeah, it does."

Half a second later, the tanned player's head dropped on top of Kuroko's, eyes clearly too exhausted to remain open any longer.

Kuroko sighed, "Akashi-kun, Aomine-kun seems to have dozed off. And I'm quite sleepy too. Shall we make our excuses and leave?"

Akashi turned a considering eye towards their seniors' table –

"Oi, Murasakibara! Hand the hour glass back now, it's not something for you to play with, nanodayo!"

– They still seemed to be eating. It would be rude to leave before them, but they had played in the finals today. They were sore and tired and truly needed to sleep.

"Very well," Akashi stood up, dislodging Momoi's resting head from his shoulder gently and he beckoned the girl to follow him, "Momoi and I will go make our excuses. Midorima, do collect our bags and wake the rest of the sleeping posse."

Midorima had barely voiced his agreement when Murasakibara passed his lucky item back to him. Or well, not passed, but pushed it across the table. It was not a particularly forceful shove, just a gentle tip to slide it towards the green haired shooting guard, but the glass proved to be exceptionally fragile.

A simple push and the hour glass tipped. It fell. It clunked against the hard wooden counter. It splintered. It cracked. It _broke_. And it sent its luminous sand spilling all over the table.

Akashi and Momoi, who'd barely gotten up from their seats, flinched back as little shards of glass flew upwards due to the force. Murasakibara's eyes had widened in dismay while Aomine continued to doze on. Kuroko's placid expression had given way to alarm as he instinctively shielded his face and Kise had let out a small yelp. None of that could compare to Midorima's reaction.

His face was etched in horror; voice nearly a screech, "I-It broke! Kami-sama! _That's seven years of bad luck!"_

"Uh, I thought that was for broken mirrors…?" Kise got a sharp look from Akashi for his quip.

"It's the same for _lucky items_ too!" Midorima grit out, his hands jerking as if to collect the broken shards.

Momoi immediately went over to Midorima, speaking to him soothingly, "Don't worry, Midorin. We'll get another on the way home. And the day's nearly over too! Your luck won't be compromised so late…"

The Oha Asa devotee gulped resignedly, looking at the remains of his lucky item with distress.

"Midorima-kun," Kuroko spoke up, "Please do not be so foolish as to try and pick that up by yourself. The glass pieces are tiny and you may injure yourself."

"I know that, idiot!"

"Mido-chin, I'm sorry," Murasakibara's attempt to calm his team mate down was in vain however, as his words only seemed to remind him just whose fault it was.

Akashi sighed in exasperation, "Okay, that's it. Kuroko, go borrow a wash cloth and clean up the sand. Kise, you collect our bags. Someone wake up Aomine, I'm not in the mood to deal with him now. Murasakibara, stay put, and keep your hands to yourself. Midorima…you, well, never mind. Momoi, come with me, we're telling Nijimura-san that we're leaving."

Saying so, the red haired Vice-Captain swept away towards Nijimura's table. The rest of them hurried to comply with his orders and Midorima stared mutinously at the table.

"W-What happened?" Aomine chose that moment to wake up. Getting a sharp glare from a certain green haired team mate, Aomine blinked before staring at the sand covered table, "Holy –! The hell?"

"Nothing, Aominechhi," Kise sighed, "just be careful. There are glass pieces all around. And sand too. You might wanna dust your hair…"

* * *

In the end, they were not able to get Midorima a replacement lucky item. But Midorima had not had much expectation to begin with and not so graciously stomped home, not quite forgiving Murasakibara but still making peace with him upon Akashi's insistence.

Kuroko went home and wished his grandmother a good night before collapsing on his bed. He just about had the presence of mind to take a quick shower – they'd already showered thoroughly after the match was over – and change into his sleepwear and before burrowing inside the comforter.

In the night, small, indistinct particles of sand gleamed luminously in Kuroko's pale blue hair.

* * *

The first realisation when Kuroko got up in the morning was that his feet reached the floor sooner than it used to. And that gave him a pause. Because while growth spurts were welcome – he did _not_ enjoy being the shortest player in the team, really – they did not happen so suddenly and over-night.

 _'Something's odd,_ ' Kuroko thought as he glanced down at himself.

And his thought was well deserved, because while he certainly seemed to have grown more than a couple of inches – at least that's what Kuroko felt, gazing at his now longer fingers and arms – his shirt and pants seemed to be a perfect fit.

' _Wait,_ ' Kuroko blinked, ' _did I wear this last night?'_

His plain blue and white nightwear had been somehow exchanged for a red and peach one. By the gods, Kuroko didn't even remember owning such a combination of sleepwear. Or such well-worn ones too. Not new then…perhaps a hand-me-down?

"Eh, Obaa-chan must have put Otou-san's clothes in my cupboard," Kuroko reasoned as he stepped into the bathroom, "I don't remember wearing these, but I _was_ tired and sleepy and they're comfortable at least."

Thankfully, the bathroom held no surprises for him. The towel was kept in the same place. The bar of soap was of the same brand they usually used. The toothbrush – wait, did that seem different?

"I must be too tired from yesterday's game," Kuroko concluded, "Obaa-chan must have brought me a new one sometime recently…and the old one was getting worn out too…"

Thus convinced, Kuroko went about his morning business; last night's win still giving him a euphoric feeling. It was when he re-opened his closet to take his uniform out that he paused. Teiko's blue shirt and white blazer was nowhere to be seen. He rifled through his clothes rack (so many of them seemed unfamiliar, and when did he buy that black belt again?), but the only thing that resembled a uniform was a dark navy blue gakuran.

Odd. Suspiciously odd.

Deciding to leave his uniform for after breakfast, he walked downstairs in a casual trousers and tee-shirt, towelling off his hair as he entered the kitchen. The sudden increase in height made his movements clumsy as he slipped into his chair, smiling at his grandmother, Kuroko Terumi, as she served him breakfast.

"Ohayo, Obaa-chan."

"Ohayo, Tetsuya," his grandmother smiled back, "Your Tou-san called, he said their business trip is extended for a few weeks, but he and Kaa-san will be home by first week of May."

"May?" Kuroko repeated in slight disbelief, "Are you sure, Obaa-chan?"

"Of course I am," she smiled quizzically at him, "they called me just this morning after all."

 _'How –?'_ Kuroko's eyes widened even as he returned to his food, _'First week of **May**? Isn't it already July…? We played in the Inter-Middle finals just yesterday!'_

"Ano, Obaa-chan, what's the date today?"

"The eleventh of April. Tetsuya, are you alright?"

 _'No,'_ Kuroko breathed harshly, _'I'm most certainly **not** alright. What in the world is going on?'_

Placating his grandmother, Kuroko went back to his room and dug out his mobile from underneath the bed covers. And there, blinking in the corner of the screen was the date: 11th April. And if the fact that Kuroko was suddenly three months displaced from what he remembered was not disconcerting enough, then seeing they year certainly was.

"Impossible!" Kuroko uttered in disbelief, "This…this is two years in the future! How...? Wasn't I in my second year of middle school just now? But…"

Things made sense now – the increased height. The fitting clothes. The new brush. The uniform.

The mere thought was ridiculous – how could he have travelled to the future? Or _had_ he even travelled to the future? What if he'd simply _forgotten_ the past two years?

"But no, that doesn't make sense…" Kuroko mumbled softly, running his hands through his hair to check for any head injuries, "I'm not hurt, so why would I forget anything?"

Then did that mean… _what_ did that mean? Had he truly travelled to the future?

Slight hysterical laughter bubbled up his throat, "Ha! What a notion! I must be going crazy!"

Even so, checking his book bag showed high school textbooks instead of his middle school ones. And upon them, printed in his own neat handwriting were the words: _Seirin High._

"Seirin High School?" Kuroko blinked, "I've never even heard of such a school before…Do we all really attend Seirin High? I can't imagine Akashi-kun or Midorima-kun going to such an unknown school. Or even Aomine-kun…"

Because, certainly they all went to the same school, didn't they? That was what they had decided after all – to continue playing basketball in high school together. Wait –

"That's it!" Kuroko smiled in slight relief, hurrying to put on his strange, new (Or was it old?) uniform, "Even if Akashi-kun or Midorima-kun might not attend Seirin high school, Aomine-kun must have at least. We'd be playing together, after all! Yes…I have to go meet him at school and ask him what's going on…"

Dressing himself up, he checked the route to Seirin High via the internet, bidding goodbye to his grandmother as he left the house. All Kuroko needed to do was reach school and ask for Aomine-kun's help. Or probably Momoi-san. Together, they might make something out of this… _time travel_ (And such an odd thing to imagine – he was half thinking he was still asleep and this was some kind of bizarre dream). Yes, first to reach school and then they'd worry about this.

Aomine-kun, Momoi-san and he…they'd be in the same school, at least that he could be sure of… Couldn't he?

Whatever was going on was weird. Was unsettling. And if Kuroko was right, then he was in the _future_ and he had no idea why.

 _'And to think, yesterday had been such a good day too…'_ Kuroko sighed, _'Well, I don't look forward to high school either way. I've barely even completed my middle school curriculum!'_

There must truly be something wrong with him, Kuroko decided sullenly as he tripped over his own long (and not used to) legs, if his suddenly advanced level of studies was feeling like his main concern.

* * *

 **AN: So, how was it? I know there are many time travel fics, and this might not be an original idea either...but this is my take at it - a reverse time travel!**

 **So I hope you liked it!**

 **Do leave a review, yes? Please? Pretty please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey there! Sorry for the late update, but exams are finally over! Yay! Not that the competitive exams aren't loomig around the corner, so my updates are still going to be sporadic, I can guarentee updates, for I do not give up on my stories! That said, onwards with the tale!**

 **Enjoy~**

 **.**

"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

The first thing Kise had noticed was his face.

Waking up, half-bleary and reluctant, he'd stumbled into the bathroom to splash his face with water when he'd seen it. His cheekbones had become sharper losing some of its roundness. Kise smirked; he certainly looked more handsome now. It was the onset of puberty. Brilliant.

The next moment, Kise was struggling to keep a sharp yell in – the hell was going on? For, it was not just his face, but his whole body! Muscles – those that only came from long workouts and intense practice – were more prominent than he remembered it being, he was another few inches _taller_ and his hair was longer than usual. And his voice, _damn_ , his voice had cracked and turned deeper now, the tone not quite what it used to be. How had it all happened in _one night_?

After nearly convincing his parents and sisters that he was seven kinds of crazy, he'd extracted all the information he could out of them. So, it was apparently two years into the future than he last remembered it being, they'd shifted to Kanagawa because of his father's work, he now attended Kaijo High School (Bloody _high_ _school_? Whatever happened to _middle_ school?), he still worked as a model and was a part of the basketball club. Okay, so, at least one thing was alright.

It was on his way to school, face peering outside the bus window to take in the sights of this new area, that Kise had an errant thought. A simple 'I wonder what Akashichhi is going to say, when he realises that I don't remember anything from the past two years' random thought and Kise gasped.

"Shit." Kise murmured in a low tone, "This is Kanagawa prefecture! Dammit, we'd all planned to go to a high school in Tokyo! What if – what if, I'm the only one attending Kaijo?"

That was an alarming assumption, but was quite possible. And Kise wondered then, if it was not his old teammates, who did he play with now? Where were his old teammates? Why was he in the future, in the first place? It was all confusing, very confusing. And now that the initial shock had worn off slightly, a tendril of fear crawled up his spine. What if he'd actually forgotten the past two years for some reason? Or what if he was the only one who'd _travelled through time?_

Kise gulped, ' _This is not shaping up to be a good day.'_

* * *

Kuroko found his class easily enough – he'd written it on his books after all – and his shoe locker had his name pasted on it with paper, but finding his seat inside the class…well, this was proving to be difficult. Deciding to simply go with instinct, he chose a seat near the window. It seemed like a desk he would choose; next to the window, the last row and slightly at the back. If it wasn't his…well, it had nearly been a week his since school began; his classmates were bound to know where he sat.

Roll call helped. Kuroko now knew who most of his classmates were and the huge red head in front of him provided enough cover that Kuroko wouldn't be easily seen. The last thing he wanted was to be called upon to answer a question whose answer he'd never even heard of. Though with his low presence, that chance seemed quite small.

"…and Japan went into a complete isolation. Trade cycles with other countries were stopped and – Kagami!" The teacher, short and slightly balding in the head stopped right beside 'Kagami', glaring at his sleeping form.

"Got ya!"

Kuroko barely managed to contain a snort as the red-haired individual's hand shot out, grasping the bald head of their sensei. His classmates were less reserved and slight chuckles erupted as the teacher twitched, flicking his book over the sleeping teen's head sharply, waking him up immediately.

"Oi, Kuroko!" Kagami turned in his seat, much to the blue-haired teen's surprise, as their teacher walked back to the front after berating him for dozing off, "Why didn't you wake me up? And how are you _not_ tired from yesterday's match?!"

"Kagami! Pay attention!"

"Er… yes, sensei!"

As the lesson continued, Kuroko's eyes narrowed in thought. Match? So the slightly sore feeling and aches in his muscles was because of that. Kuroko had first assumed it to be so because of the Inter-Middle Finals; he was bound to be sore after that; but thinking about it, it shouldn't have been so. If he'd played the match two years in the _past_ , it was no reason for his muscles to ache in the _future_ …This time travel thing was getting irritating real quick.

But wait! A match? Then that meant Kagami and he were in the basket ball club together! Perfect! Kuroko had not found Aomine-kun yet, but if he just followed Kagami today, he'd be sure to find the tanned player at the gym at least!

Slumping in slight relief, Kuroko gazed down at his history notes. Well, at least it was Japanese history, his best subject. He wondered how he'd have fared if it had been _maths_.

* * *

"Kise-kun looks as hot as usual!"

"Kyaa! How handsome!"

Kise flashed a small smirk at a girl as she waved who promptly blushed and turned back to her girlfriends, chattering excitedly.

"I'm surprised though, you know,"

"He seems quite jovial as usual!"

"Yeah, thought he'd be a bit down after yesterday…"

Kise paused at that, slowing down to hear them better, _'What am I supposed to be feeling so down about?'_

"Oi, Kise!"

Kise turned to see a shorter, dark haired teen walking towards him with quick strides.

"Where were you this morning? Losing one match doesn't mean you can skip out on morning practice, get it?"

' _Who is he?'_ Kise blinked, then, _'Wait! What?! We lost a match? Lost?! How in the – oh, yeah, right. Not Teiko. I've no idea how strong this school's team is either…'_

"Are you listening to me, Kise?"

Kise instinctively dodged the other teen's knuckles as it tried to knock into his head, "Yeah, yeah, got it, senpai." Flashing a quick smile, he lied through his teeth, "Just got held up at home for some reason. I'll be there for after-school practice for sure."

That seemed to satisfy him and he walked ahead of him, calling out a greeting to another teen who responded enthusiastically with a 'Hey, Kasamatsu!'

"Kasamatsu, huh?" Kise muttered, "Wonder what position he holds in the team? Must be either Captain or Vice-Cap, with the way he ordered me. A second or third year, probably. I was right about his age then…Gah! This is so confusing!"

Getting into his class and finding his seat was easy – there were already a bunch of girls standing near it, waiting for him to take a seat before they began gossiping. Replying automatically and vaguely, he waved off everyone after a few minutes, claiming to be tired and needing a bit of pre-class nap. They cleared off immediately with sympathetic pats on his back.

 _'Lost a match, huh?'_ Kise thought back to that conversation as he pulled out his phone and began scrolling through, ' _If the season's not yet begun, it was a practice match definitely. And if **I** actually lost, then…Aha! Here we go!'_

Only recently – or perhaps in the recent past, _two whole years_ in the recent past – after the Inter-Middle Semi-finals, they had been nick-named as the 'Generation of Miracles'. The name was flashy and sounded a lot more cool than a mere teen basketball club deserved, but they'd all been rather proud of it. The sports world had taken to following them rather actively after that, also planning to write an article on them. Kise didn't know what happened to that article now, but if the name Generation of Miracles had stuck through these two years, then the news of Kise losing a match was sure to be spread out on social media groups.

' _Against Seirin High,'_ Kise read, thumbing down to see a picture of the final score, ' _It was a pretty good match, huh? We only lost by two points…Wait!'_ Kise gulped, his eyes widening at one photo even as his body slumped in relief, ' _That's Kurokochhi! Kurokochhi is in Seirin!'_

"This is perfect!" Kise grinned, "I can ask him what happened now. And, well, he would know, wouldn't he? He'd know something at least…or even hear me out before calling me crazy…"

"Kise-kun." Ah the sensei had arrived, "Phones in for now, please. I'll be starting roll call."

Kise was beaming as he complied. It didn't really matter right now. This was certainly a crazy time, all alone in Kanagawa with Kuroko in Tokyo (He must be, should be, even if he hadn't really heard of Seirin) and not knowing where Aominechhi or Akashichhi were, not knowing anything about what was going on…but if anyone had a chance of hearing him out, even if it was a silly time-travel theory of his, it was definitely Kuroko!

 _'Oh no,'_ Kise sighed as he remembered then, _'I still have to attend basketball practice... This is going to be a long day…'_

* * *

"Yosh! Listen up!"

Aida Riko, the coach of the basketball team and a second year student. Why was their coach a second year? But, Kuroko lost most of his complaints after seeing her conduct a successful practice; though he did miss Shirogane kantoku's coaching. Even if it was harder than this.

' _Akashi-kun would be appalled,'_ Kuroko thought, ' _but there is certainly a difference. Instead of the rigorous training of Teiko's, it is a slower paced, but longer menu. Well evened out too. The stretches leave a comfortable burn in the muscles. And Kagami-kun is a good player. I can see it just by looking…'_

Kuroko was rambling.

Not aloud, of course, but in his thoughts. Rambling to keep his mind off other matters, such as Aomine-kun. The Teiko ace had usually been one of the first members inside the gym for practice. Be it after a hard-won match or the day before a school test, Aomine would never pass up a chance to spend more time playing basketball. It was never _training_ for him – it was playing and that was also one of the reasons why Kuroko had grown to love his attitude regarding it.

So Kuroko had known. The moment he and Kagami-kun had stepped inside the gym and not seen Aomine-kun or Momoi-san, Kuroko had known. Aomine Daiki certainly didn't attend Seirin high school.

"Okay, we'll play a mini-match first to get you into gear," Riko said, "The elimination rounds for the Inter-High begin next month, so I'll be changing your training menus accordingly."

"Have the match-ups been drawn already?" Koganei asked.

"They'll be out by tomorrow, earliest," Hyuuga replied as he bent forward to touch his toes, Izuki applying a light pressure on his back.

"Yes, which is why I'm saying this now," Riko said, "For the first few matches, we'll have Hyuuga-kun, Izuki-kun, Koganei-kun, Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun as the starter members."

"Great!" Kagami grinned joyously.

Kuroko blinked with surprise as their seniors began patting Kagami on the back, telling him to keep training and that he was expected to do better. Him, a starting player? That was a different strategy compared to Teiko's. Well, it was a different school too. And it was just best to go with the flow for now.

"None of those lousy passes you displayed in yesterday's game," Hyuuga said sternly to Kagami, "you and Kuroko start polishing your co-ordination. We'll be depending on your Light and Shadow stuff and what not to keep us going against your old team mates, yeah, Kuroko?"

"Hai." Kuroko responded in a bland tone, earning a couple of chuckles as Hyuuga twitched at the unenthusiastic reply, _'And that's another thing. Kagami-kun is now my light.'_ Kuroko gazed at him in consideration, ' _He seems to be a power-player based on height and muscle definition. A lot like Aomine-kun. Maybe that's why…?'_

But, in the end, no matter how many explanations he gave, Kuroko still didn't get it. Why had he and Aomine-kun split up? Their partnership was one of the best! A perfect duo that often managed to get the better of even Akashi-kun! Why then? Why was he not studying in the same school, playing on the same team as Aomine?

* * *

 _'What kind of school have I chosen?'_ Kise groaned, _'A test right off the bat? And on maths too. I'm pretty sure Gemini must be ranked last today, what with this horrible luck of mine…'_

Akashichhi was already a bit mad that he was not keeping up with algebraic equations; God knew what level of difficulty High School mathematics was on. And there wasn't even Akashichhi or Midorimachhi to help explain things to him now!

His fellow classmates were worriedly discussing the paper, "What did you mark for question seven? I'm pretty sure that was based on cosine rule…"

"Idiot! That had the tan function in it! You're supposed to use the sine rule then –"

Yeah, that. Maths. Trigonometry. Kise tried to unsuccessfully block his ears as he packed up his book bag and headed out towards the gym. Thankfully, he had one other basketball member in his class and was content to follow him to the gym. The school was huge and confusing anyway.

"Kise! I want to have a word with you, concerning yesterday's game."

Kise turned his head; he was getting called on rather a lot today. Especially by his basketball club members. Was him losing the match truly such a depressing matter? Kise supposed he had been acting rather happy, but what could he do? The last the thing the blond remembered was enjoying a hearty meal with his teammates to celebrate _winning_ the Inter-Middle Championship. He didn't remember losing any game, certainly.

"Hai, kantoku?"

The portly man who'd called out to him, paused slightly, an odd expression crossing his face and making Kise wonder if he'd said something he usually didn't. Usually…as in, before the whole travelling to the future… thing...whatever.

"Kise, I hope you learnt a lesson from yesterday's match –"

 _'If I actually **remembered** playing it, kantoku, yeah,'_ Kise sighed.

"– and I think I don't need to tell you that you also owe your captain an apology. And your coach," The man looked at him pointedly but Kise had no idea what he was supposed to be apologising for. The coach sighed at his blank face, "Very well. I know the loss stung, but take heed from it and improve, and you better start making up for your previous absences. You will come to every practice, unless of course, your work demands otherwise –"

"Work?" Kise interrupted before he could stop himself, earning an odd look as he laughed it off, "Ah yeah, right. Of course, kantoku! I'll get right to it, in fact! I'll go and get changed now, yeah?"

Kise excuse himself politely, heading towards the locker rooms and swinging his locker open. Mechanically changing, Kise dug out his uniform – his mother had thankfully handed it to him this morning – ignoring the other players. He seriously needed to start learning their names, he couldn't keep calling everyone senpai, it'd get confusing real soon. And knowing the first years' names was first priority. He couldn't call _them_ any variation of senpai, after all.

' _I wonder what this work was,_ ' Kise mused as he ran a few laps for warm-up, ' _Modelling? Couldn't be, could it? And make up for my absences? Was I actually missing practice before? I never cancelled Teiko's trainings for modelling jobs. A part time job? Oh kami-sama, I hope not! How am I even going to know about this? I suddenly wish I kept a journal of some sort –_ '

"Hey, Kise," the teen from this morning, Kasamatsu, joined him then, "After yesterday's match –"

 _'Oh kami-sama, not that again!'_ Kise groaned inwardly, _'And what do I need to apologise for, anyway? I'm seriously not doing it until I know, so he better not be here for that. And who is this captain that I'm supposed to apologise to?'_

"– I think it's better if you told us now. Early enough so that we can prepare for it instead of mid-match like with Seirin. Oi, are you listening to me, Kise?"

"Ah yeah," Kise nodded, "Uh…what are we talking about again?"

Kasamatsu gave him an unimpressed glare, "Your old teammates, idiot! I'll kick you, seriously…"

Kise sweat-dropped at that last threat, ' _Kick me? This guy is odd. And I still don't know, is he the vice-cap? Or captain? Well, can't ask him either way…'_

"What about my old team mates?"

"Kise, are you seriously alright? You're still not moping about yesterday's loss, are you? I know it was your first loss, but man up already!"

"No, not that," Kise interrupted, finding ten things odd about Kasamatsu's statement as well as a bit insulting, "But what are you talking about, senpai?"

Moping about a loss? _First_ loss? Kise had lost to Aomine tons of times! He still hadn't managed to win a one-on-one against him; he was certainly no stranger to loss. Having joined the basketball club only a few months prior, and with such talented teammates, even Kise's abundant skill hadn't gotten him the top position of best player as was the norm. And the fact that he had a challenge instead of an easy win was what made the basketball club _fun_!

Besides, he'd lost a practice match against Kuroko – his current (Previous? It was the future after all) trainer – someone who had taught him most of the technical skills Kise knew. In fact, he was sure that pit against his old team mates, to declare a winner would be difficult. They knew each other's play styles so well, that countering it would be easy as well as a task in itself. And so what if he'd lost against Kurokochhi now? He'd certainly make sure to win next time! He couldn't have Kurokochhi gloating about it for too long, or start betting vanilla shakes on the outcome of the matches…

"What do you want me tell you about my old team mates?" Kise asked, pulling out of his thoughts, finding the prefix 'old' quite odd while referring to his friends.

"Their strengths! Their weaknesses! Any odd quirks you remember," Kasamatsu said exasperatedly, "What else? Oh, and yeah, if any of them have a tendency to disappear on court, knowing that would be good too."

Kise laughed at that description of Kuroko, "No, that's only Kurokochhi! Besides, he can't do that –"

"For an entire game," Kasamatsu completed, "yeah, you told us that. And a warning would have been greatly appreciated. Having him steal the ball from my hands –"

 _'Well,_ ' Kise thought, tuning out the teen's words as another thing struck him, ' _Kurokochhi certainly made an impression on him. But…if Kasamatsu-san is actually mentioning Kurokochhi, remembering **him** instead of Aominechhi…does that mean, Aominechhi and Kurokochhi are not on the same team?'_

Kise had not found any pictures or mentions of Aomine playing of Seirin on any chats he'd seen this morning, but that didn't necessarily mean Aomine was not at Seirin. But if Kasamatsu was more fascinated with the shadow instead of the light, then… Why? Why was Aomine not playing with Kuroko? And if they'd split up, then did that mean all of them had done so too?

Kise's gaze lowered to the floor, ' _I…don't know what's going on anymore…'_

* * *

It was one of the few times, Kuroko thought, that he was actually happy to see Kise-kun call him.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko said, pulling away the red-head's attention from his teriyaki burger, "I must take this call, I shall be right back."

"Huh?" Kagami blinked, "Yeah, of course, Kuroko. Geez you don't have to be so formal all the time,"

Giving him non-committal nod, Kuroko pushed away his chair and walked towards the exit, straying a bit further from the door before he accepted the call.

"Hello?"

"Kurokochhi! You picked up! You finally picked up! The phone rang for so long – oh, I'm Kise, Kise Ryota, remember? And you need to please listen to me –"

"Of course I know who you are, Kise-kun," Kuroko responded but it got lost in the following barrage of words and the passing specialist was reminded why he didn't usually answer the blond model's calls.

" – and I know this sounds crazy, but I'm telling you it's not! I suddenly got up today and everything had changed! Well, not everything, but most things –"

"Kise-kun. Kise-kun!"

Kise paused at Kuroko's raised voice, "Yeah, Kurokochhi?"

"Kise-kun," Kuroko paused, hesitating before simply saying it, "What do you last remember? The meal after –"

"– the Inter-Middle Championship?" Kise completed with audible hope in his voice, "Yes! Yes, yes! Oh, thank kami-sama! You wouldn't believe how scary it was, I thought no one else remembered and people kept talking about a match we played with Seirin and I kept thinking –"

"Calm down Kise-kun," Kuroko smiled imperceptibly, his own panic abating now that he'd found a friend in the same boat, "I don't know what is going on either. But at least it means this is all real and I'm not dreaming it."

"Or perhaps Kurokochhi and I are sharing a dream~!"

"Impossible." Kuroko shot down immediately, ignoring Kise's retaliating 'So mean!'. The mere fact that Kise-kun was back to making jokes and quips, showed that the blond was calming down, "We need to meet Kise-kun. And we need to talk about this. I – I am quite uncertain as to how to proceed,"

"Yeah," Kise agreed, "And, Kurokochhi…I checked out on all social media groups I could about yesterday's match –"

"I don't know anything about it," Kuroko said.

"No," Kise breathed in harshly, "not that, it's just… There was no mention of – I mean – even my team mates never said anything – and I wanted to hear it from you, but, so I –"

"You're right." Kuroko responded softly, understanding what Kise was trying to say, "You're right, Kise-kun. Aomine-kun does not attend Seirin."

There was a light hiss through the receiver in reaction, as if Kise's doubts had been confirmed, "Then yesterday's match?"

"Kagami Taiga." Kuroko replied, "I've apparently chosen him as my new light. He's a good player and very similar to Aomine-kun in play style."

"Do you know why –?"

"No. No, I have no idea why Aomine-kun and I are not in the same school. And no idea whether it is only the both of us or…"

The silence stretched on for a while, Kuroko could not voice it out. While Kise might be a part of whatever weird thing was going on, it did not mean the others were too. And both of them were worried, worried that they would find out that they'd somehow lost two years of their lives while the others remembered incidents and events they did not.

"Do you remember the court?" Kuroko said after a while, "The one we used to play on during weekends?"

"Yeah, the one right near the big children's park?" Kise confirmed, "Tomorrow? After practice?"

"At six o' clock," Kuroko amended, "We can tell each other all we learnt and figure out where to go from there."

"Yeah, okay," Kise agreed, a slight cheer in his voice now, "I'll see you tomorrow then, Kurokochhi! It's a date!~"

"Idiot." Kuroko muttered fondly after the line cut off, a small smile playing up on his lips, _'Well, at least I'm not alone now.'_

Stepping back into the burger joint, he reclaimed his seat in front of Kagami, nearly spooking him with his sudden appearance.

"Huh." Kagami leaned forward, "Must have been some call, you're actually smiling."

"No. I'm not." Kuroko schooled his face again, amusement bubbling up at Kagami-kun's earnest expression.

"You were!"

"Was not."

"Were."

"Was not."

"Were!"

"I refuse to argue with you like a five year old."

"A five – hey! Kuroko!"

Kuroko truly did smile at that, making Kagami crow in triumph. Well, Kuroko thought as Kagami unwrapped another burger, Kagami-kun wasn't Aomine-kun but he was quite a good friend in his own way.

* * *

 **AN: So, how was it? Do let me know! Feedback helps a lot! And it highly encourages me to write faster, so yeah, a review? :)**

 **Also, before people start questioning it, the lack of details will be covered up soon. Kuroko and kise just got to know their teams, I'll be writing more about them soon enough. And, if anyone is wondering why Kuroko didn't call Aomine on the phone like Kise did...well, there's a reason for that too. You'll just have to keep reading to find out! ^_^**

 **.**

 **To Guest - Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you are enjoying this story. And I know the premise is a bit unique, but I'm having fun writing it so I hope you have fun reading it :)**

 **To Rheizen - Thanks for reviewing! Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you're liking my story and writing style! Their friendships will certainly be odd, and not quite canonical. The GoM are still a bit in their middle-school menatailities, so you can't expect them to adapt and adjust quickly either, but their dynamics with their high school teams will also be discussed, for sure! :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

 **.**

 **REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hello! Yes, another huge gap. So sorry! And I know I'm postponing it, but** "The Oath **" will be updated too, soon! I'm not abandoning any fics, that is for sure!  
**

 **Enjoy~**

 **.**

"Dialogues"

' _Thoughts'_

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

"Daiki! Get up or you'll be late!"

Daiki only grumbled something that sounded like 'Five more minutes' before snuggling deeper into the covers. They'd just played a huge match yesterday and he deserved a bit of extra sleep. Besides, he was sure they didn't have morning practice today –

"Daiki! Get up! Satsuki-chan is here already!"

He was also sure that it hadn't even been five minutes. Geez, didn't his mom know there wasn't morning practice? Why wake him up at six in the morning? Before he could ponder that any further, the door to his room banged open before being shut equally loudly.

"Wha –?"

"Dai-chan! Wake up, you need to see this!"

 _'See what?'_ Daiki opened one bleary eye, Satsuki's worried face coming into view. Then, as his eyes travelled over her, they snapped open completely.

"Satsuki!" Daiki yelped, pointing one accusing finger at her chest, "What happened to your boobs?!"

"Huh?" Satsuki looked down at her now larger breasts, before glaring at him, slapping the offending finger away, "Shut up, Dai-chan! Besides, hear yourself, would you?"

"Hear myself –?" Daiki paused, "Ahh! My voice!"

"Shh!" Satsuki flapped her hands to calm him down, "I know! And speak softly; we don't want your Kaa-san to know you're actually going crazy!"

"Maybe I am!" Daiki hissed, clambering out of his bed, making to enter the bathroom to take a better look at himself. If Satsuki had suddenly grown, in height and other…areas, then did that mean he had too?

"What the hell is going on?" Daiki emerged, shirt in hand as he ran his fingers over his abs, "I don't remember having them so well defined,"

Satsuki sweat-dropped as Daiki put on his shirt, "That's not the only thing," she said softly, a serious look in her eyes, "Look at the date."

"The date?" Daiki raised an eyebrow, unwilling to believe what she was suggesting.

Okay, so with the abnormal growth spurt and sudden changes, Daiki could guess what Satsuki might be alluding to, but did that mean he had to believe in this crack pot theory?

"It's the 11th of April, Dai-chan. And not the year we were in," Satsuki said, pulling out her phone to show him, "Something's wrong. _Very_ wrong."

Daiki's eyes widened in disbelief at the numbers blinking on her phone screen and then he snatched up his own mobile to re-check.

"Shit."

"Exactly, Dai-chan," Satsuki pursed her lips, "and surely the _both_ of us couldn't have forgotten the last two years, so this – whatever this is – is actually true."

Daiki gave a weak laugh, plopping down on his bed, "I'm…I'm not even sure what's happening. Yesterday we'd just played in the finals and now? This is so crazy…"

"And that's not the only problem," Now Satsuki looked even more distressed, "Why don't I have Tetsu-kun's number in my phone?!"

Daiki barked out a laugh – seriously?! _That_ is what caused her to look so worried? – before pausing. The notion was odd, Tetsu's number not in Satsuki's phone? He scrolled down the contact list in his own phone, but it seemed like it was the same for him.

"Eh," Daiki dismissed, "Tetsu must have gotten a new number or something; we'll just have to ask him in school today." And that gave him a pause, "Wait, Satsuki…which school do we go to?"

Satsuki sighed, "Mou! Dai-chan! It's really a good thing I'm with you – you're such a basket-baka, you wouldn't have been able to do anything were you left alone!"

"Oi!" the tanned ace protested, "That's so not true!"

"It certainly is." Satsuki retorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder and turning to leave the room, "Get changed into your uniform. It must be in your closet, a dark navy blazer and trousers. I'll go home and do the same. Meet you outside in twenty minutes, okay?"

Daiki nodded; glad she stayed close by to his house. He truly wondered what would have happened if she'd not visited so early in the morning. Then he sighed, dropping his head onto his arms, what was this mess they'd gotten into?

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Aomine hissed, glaring at nothing in particular as he ate his lunch.

If the start of their day had been bad enough, the rest of it was terrible. Both Aomine and Momoi attended Touou High School, a school that was not prestigious enough for its sports but was certainly gaining that reputation slowly. They'd skipped out on morning basketball practice to re-acquaint themselves with the school's huge campus. The two of them were in different classes, they'd learned and Aomine had apparently joined the school with a sports scholarship. Okay, that was good. But still…

"Just how invisible can that guy be?" Aomine asked, shoving a bit of rice in his mouth, "I've combed through all the classes there are, the library, the music rooms, the secluded spots – everything!"

Momoi briefly scrunched up her nose in distaste as he ate and talked at the same time before sighing, "When did you have time to do that? Don't tell me you've been ditching classes!"

Aomine scowled, "What's the use anyway? It's not like I'll be able to understand anything."

"And you'll ever understand if you ditch, baka! We can't suddenly drop our grades –"

"Yeah, yeah," Aomine waved a hand dismissively, "That's really not what I'm worried about, okay, Satsuki? What's bugging me is that I really can't find Tetsu, or that even Tetsu's not come found me. We usually eat lunch together!"

Momoi let out a confused noise, "I know. I'm really wondering now; perhaps Tetsu-kun doesn't attend Touou with us?"

"No!" Aomine protested, "We're a team, aren't we? Why would he not come to Touou with us?"

"Yes," Momoi agreed, "but Dai-chan, neither do any of the others come to Touou as well. Perhaps Tetsu-kun just shifted out of Tokyo?" She frowned, "But how will we even contact him? I don't even have his number!"

"Satsuki…" Aomine began, putting his bento down, "Have you thought about this – we're the only ones experiencing this shit?"

"Language, Dai-chan." Momoi murmured automatically, her analytical mind already considering the possibilities, "I only have Midorin's and Akashi-kun's number right now – we couldn't all have changed phone numbers simultaneously, could we?"

"No," Aomine agreed softly, "What are you saying? We're – we're not friends any longer?"

Momoi looked conflicted, "I don't know, but that would at least explain why you and Tetsu-kun are not on the same team, wouldn't it?"

Aomine scowled, "Nonsense! Tetsu and I – not friends? He's my best friend; seriously, Satsuki, don't joke!"

"Dai-chan, think about it," Momoi urged, "I can't count on you to have anyone's phone number but Tetsu-kun's, so you not having Midorin or Ki-chan or Muk-kun or even Akashi-kun's number is believable. But I make sure to gather everyone's data – why wouldn't _I_ have their number unless we've all separated after middle school?"

Aomine pushed off his chair, dropping his chopsticks onto the closed bento box. Ignoring the stares of both, Momoi and other students in the cafeteria, he stalked off, too incensed at his childhood friend's suggestion to stay and talk about their unusual situation any longer.

"Aomine."

The sound of his name made him stop, even though he'd no idea who it was. Best not to act any differently; he'd never hear the end of it from Satsuki if he messed up whatever he was supposed to not mess up. Looking behind but unable to distinguish which of the numerous students called out to him, Aomine shrugged and walked on, giving up.

"Oi, Aomine!"

This time a light-blond haired, muscular student pushed through the crowd to come to stand next to the tanned player.

"What?" Aomine scowled, not caring how rude he was. He didn't even know this guy.

"The coach wants you at practice today," the blond responded with a scowl of his own, "He has something to say to the team, so be on time."

"Whatever." Aomine replied, walking away and ignoring the other teen's shout of respecting his seniors. He'd respect them some other time, right now he was pissed. _'Seriously, man, can't you leave a guy alone? I was going to come to practice either way, he didn't have to come and tell me personally…who was he anyway?'_ Aomine shook his head, sighing, _'Geez, Tetsu, you really aren't in Touou, are you? And have we actually stopped being friends? I find that so weird…playing on the court without you, without my shadow…I can't even imagine that.'_

And then came the startling thought – what if Tetsu hadn't travelled to the future with him and Satsuki? What if Tetsu was fine, normal, or exempt from whatever mess he and Satsuki had found themselves in? That was a scary thought; because if that was so, and Tetsu and he really weren't friends anymore – Aomine didn't know how he would handle it.

Momoi Satsuki may have been his childhood friend and best friend, but Kuroko Tetsuya was his best _guy_ friend. Their friendship was different from his and Satsuki's but equally as precious. Tetsu, for all his weak stamina and less capable body, was still as passionate about basketball as Aomine and they had bonded over it. They'd practiced together, played with each other, been completely in sync with the other on court; shared ice-lollies and water-bottles, jokes and secrets, fears. Tetsu had been more than his partner-on-court; he'd been Aomine's best friend and despite his perpetually blank expression, Aomine could still read him the best. Even better than Akashi, and wasn't that something?

Aomine scowled at the mushy turn his thoughts had taken, "Gah, whatever. If Tetsu and I aren't friends, well, we'll just have to become so again, won't we? He's just as much of a basket-baka as me…a couple of games and we'll be fine."

Giving a decisive nod to himself, he began his way up the stairs and towards the roof. Nothing better to do than take a nap when his mind was muddled.

* * *

"– and that's all they had to say. I re-established my network and asked around, apparently you skipping classes is not a big deal –"

"See?" Aomine cut in, "It's all fine."

"No, it's not, Dai-chan!" Momoi paused, hands on her hips as she glowered at him, "This is not Teiko and you may have a sports scholarship, but you still need to maintain your grades. Which, I'm frankly worried about, we can't really ask for help without sounding odd," she frowned a bit, "and it will be unusual if I slip up in my work…"

"We'll figure something out later," Aomine drawled, "What about basketball?"

"Ah," her expression turned thoughtful, "You seem to have gained a reputation for bunking practice. Even if it's only been a week since school began, you've not gone again after the first day here."

"What?" Aomine sounded shocked, "Me? Not going to practice?"

"Aa, and Dai-chan, most people wouldn't tell any more. So, it seems I know about this and it must be a sensitive matter. I think you shouldn't play today," she raised her hand at Aomine's enraged face, "or at least till we go for a check-up. You might have had an injury or something that forces you to stop practising as you usually do."

"I feel fine, Satsuki!" Aomine protested, "And Kaa-san didn't mention anything about going to rehabilitation or something, did she?"

"Yes, but why else would you skip practice?" Momoi asked in return, "And while I couldn't ask more – I'm supposed to know all this, after all – with the way people behaved, it seemed as if the _reason_ you don't go to practice is not really known." At Aomine's confused expression, she elaborated, "Not the basketball members; I couldn't ask them, could I? The other students know that you skip but not _why_ you skip – that can only mean you might have had an injury that's still healing, right? Such a thing wouldn't be very common knowledge to anyone outside the team, but it would still garner interest because you're one of the Generation of Miracles."

"Fine," Aomine replied grudgingly, "we'll go to that check-up. But," he paused, "whom will we go to? And what will be the reason? The doctor won't just do a check-up without getting a cause, ya know?"

Momoi bit her lip at that problem, "I don't know Dai-chan. Let's just go to practice first and see what the coach has to say, okay?"

"Okay," Aomine exhaled, running a distressed hand through his hair, "Okay, let's go. I don't really like this, Satsuki."

"I know, Dai-chan, I know…I just hope we're not alone in this."

* * *

"We'll be having a practice match with Juuniji High this weekend," the coach said, Aomine hadn't caught his name yet, he'd have to ask Satsuki later, "Their starter players are a strong bunch this year. And they have a new captain too, a second year by the name –"

Aomine tuned out then; it was just a match and if he really had an old injury that he couldn't feel, but may impair his ability to play basketball in the future if he didn't let it heal now, he wouldn't be playing in that match anyway. He brought himself back to the conversation when Momoi prodded him sharply under the ribs. Barely supressing a hiss, he refrained from returning the gesture and looked at the coach.

"We'll be having our regulars play the match." The coach was saying, "Aomine, you'll go in for the second half, I want to see how well the team plays against Juuniji without a Miracle,"

Aomine blinked at the order before shrugging. He couldn't say anything or protest lest they find it odd, "Fine."

Momoi looked perplexed at the coach's decision before turning contemplative. The others seemed content with Aomine's assent and paid no more attention to the navy haired teen.

"Imayoshi, I'll be pulling you out for one quarter. I want to see how Nishido fares as a point guard. A practice match will be the best time –"

* * *

"This makes no sense!" Momoi huffed.

Aomine grunted and kept walking, eager to simply go home and sleep. The day had been mentally tiring; they had to keep acting as if they knew what was going on and Momoi had made Aomine attend English class (You barely passed in the midterms back in Teiko, Dai-chan! You can't do the same in High School!), and frankly, Aomine had no energy left. Even though he'd bunked basketball in the end – no one had been surprised, though he'd caught that blond, Wakamatsu, Aomine remembered, looking at him with annoyance – he still wanted to simply sleep now, too tired to even listen to Satsuki.

"Harasawa kantoku wouldn't have asked you to play at all if you were injured," Momoi continued, "So, if you're physically fit, why don't you attend practice?"

"So we're not going to that check-up, then?" Aomine interjected.

"No," Momoi agreed, "And that's not important, Dai-chan! You need to go to practice; your body needs some exercise, especially if you're going to play a demanding sport like basketball!"

"Geez, I know that, Satsuki. Stop screeching like a harpy." Aomine lightly rubbed his ear, grimacing as her tone reached a few decibels below 'squeal'.

"But, people are going to talk if you suddenly start attending practice," Momoi said, "and what excuse can we give them for it when we don't even know why you stopped attending in the first place?"

"Simple," Aomine shrugged, folding his hands behind his head, book bag hanging lightly from his fingers, "I'll practice after official practice ends. No need to attend the school practice, is there?"

"Yes!" Momoi beamed, "That's brilliant, Dai-chan! For an ahou, you do have a few good ideas at times –"

"Oi!"

"– only, we need to find a place," Momoi went on, heedless of Aomine's reproach, "The school gym will be locked by then,"

"Eh, we can always go there," Aomine suggested after a while.

"Where?"

"That court near the children's park."

"Ah, yes! That will be perfect! We can go there tomorrow," Momoi suggested, "Start slowly to confirm you really have no injuries before beginning practice. I'd like to re-take your data now. The one from middle school is of no use, what with your growth; I want to see how much more you can do!"

Aomine sighed, he should have expected that.

* * *

"I still have a low presence, Kagami-kun and I are in the same class and we're good friends, and I apparently joined the basketball club after drawing a huge message, 'We will be the best in Japan', with chalk on the school grounds."

Kise let out a low whistle at that, dribbling the ball as he prepared to dash past Kuroko, "That's some odd stuff you found out, Kurokochhi. How did you find out that last thing anyway?"

Kuroko jabbed his hand to steal the ball, but Kise expertly pulled away, turning and making a run for the hoop around the phantom player. Kuroko ran after him but Kise soon out-paced him and dunked the ball in.

"I only asked a couple of questions to Kagami-kun," Kuroko replied as they took a small breather, "Not obvious questions, but he ended up telling me about our 'initiation' on his own."

The two of them had been at it for half an hour now, relaxing in the company of a friend they didn't have to pretend in front of. They could talk normally, but in the end, they were all basketball lovers at heart and best connected through the sport. Besides, it was different to practice with a new team and practicing with old ones. Their two year growth had increased their stamina and Kuroko and Kise found themselves doing some instinctive moves that their older bodies were used to but their middle school minds had no idea of.

Muscle memory was both a pain and a boon. For one, it helped them become aware of a few new technical skills they'd learned in the past two years but at the same time, they had to stop themselves from being surprised when they did things on automatic or in reflex. Playing together in this manner allowed them to discover these skills safely, without curious eyes looking on and wondering why they were acting so differently.

"Kasamatsu Yukio is my new captain and for some reason, he has this weird threat of kicking me if I don't come to practice or obey him. I entered Kaijo with a sports scholarship, I still work as a model," Kise supplied, "And Rumi-nee-san has gotten engaged to some guy I've never heard of before. Apparently we get along well, but I've no idea about it now, do I?"

Kuroko hummed in agreement, dribbling the ball back and forth, suddenly changing gears, speeding up and ducking past the blond on his less dominant side. Two years ago, this move would have caught Kise by surprise and he would have had to force himself to shift his weight onto less dominant foot and counter the move; now, his body moved instinctively as he made to block Kuroko again.

Two years ago, Kise's immediate response would have surprised Kuroko enough to make him stop; now, Kuroko simply shifted again, spinning the ball and passing through Kise's now less guarded side. Then, both of them paused in surprise. The ball hit the netted fence and dropped down, rolling slightly as it came to rest beside them.

"Ha ha," Kise laughed nervously, "still in the habit of passing cross and forth, Kurokochhi?"

Kuroko's lips turned down ever so slightly, not a big change at all, but Kise managed to catch it, "It has only been two days for me, Kise-kun. I expected Aomine-kun to be there to catch it and go for the hoop."

Kise didn't know how to respond to that. While he could pass off his shift to Kanagawa as a necessity due to his father's job and explain the reason he went to school without his old team mates, Aomine not going to school with Kuroko was a slightly more complex thing.

"Have you tried calling him?" Kise ventured.

He hadn't done that, because for one, Aominechhi was more likely to hang up on him before entertaining the notion of 'time travel' and two, Kurokochhi was already in the same boat and could relate to him. He didn't know about Aomine's situation.

"Kise-kun has Aomine-kun's phone number?" Kuroko asked with slight surprise, his face morphing to match his tone.

Kise blinked at the obvious show of expression, "Of course, I have everyone's phone number. Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh, no," Kuroko shook his head, masking his face again, "My phone seems to have only yours and Akashi-kun's number."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Kise asked, confused, "You don't have Aominechhi's number? Or not even Momoichhi's?"

"No." Kuroko sighed, "I don't even know which school he goes to."

"Huh." Kise plopped himself down on the ground, bending his knees and hooking his arms around them, motioning for his friend and mentor to do the same. When Kuroko complied, he continued, "This is why you must keep yourself updated with the help of social media groups, Kurokochhi!"

"You know, then?" Kuroko asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Kise grinned, "We're apparently rather famous, Kurokochhi!"

"As the Generation of Miracles?" Kuroko asked dryly, "Yes, I know that. My team mates wouldn't stop gushing about that title and your supposedly genius skills in our practice match."

"Eh! Kurokochhi~! What's the 'supposedly' for?" Kise whined playfully, "I _am_ a genius!"

"Of course, Kise-kun," Kuroko nodded amiably, "Let me not shatter your daydreams."

Kise narrowed his eyes, "Well, Kurokochhi will be figuring out Aominechhi's high school on his own, then, won't he?"

"Come now, Kise-kun," Kuroko looked at him pleadingly, "You'll help out your friend, won't you? Kise-kun is such a kind hearted soul."

Kise laughed at Kuroko's attempt puppy eyes. "It'd be more successful if you didn't say it all monotonously, Kurokochhi!"

"Well," Kuroko said, schooling his face and ceasing his attempt at making puppy eyes, "I know when something's not my forte. I suppose Kise-kun's does that best."

"Eh! Are you being mean, Kurokochhi~?"

"Now, tell me where the others are," Kuroko continued, ignoring Kise's pout.

The blond laughed at his friend's deadpan expression and got up to grab his phone from the bench, "Finding out where Murasakibarachhi and Aominechhi attend high school was slightly tough. Apparently that's not so well known, but I scanned through a few old mails we exchanged –"

* * *

"Akashi-kun is at Rakuzan in Kyoto, Muk-kun is at Yosen in Akita, Ki-chan goes to Kaijo in Kanagawa, Midorin goes to Shuutoku and Tetsu-kun goes to Seirin. Both are in Tokyo and Seirin's a very new school," Momoi rattled off.

"A new school?" Aomine repeated in disbelief, "Why did Tetsu go there? Does that school even _have_ a basketball club?"

"They do," Momoi nodded, waiting at the crossroad for the signal to turn green, "and for a new school, they're pretty good."

"Huh," Aomine huffed, "Seirin, is it? We're paying them a visit tomorrow, Satsuki!"

"Are you sure, Dai-chan?" Momoi asked, "We don't know if Tetsu-kun has come to the … _future_ …with us or not."

Aomine tsked at her, "Sheesh, Satsuki, I thought you'd be more eager than me. Besides, that guy's got a pretty vivid imagination. He'll believe me regardless."

"Okay!" Momoi brightened up immediately, encouraged by his words, "And if Tetsu-kun has not time travelled, he could tutor me for school work!"

Aomine sweat-dropped at her abrupt change in behaviour but he knew his friend's antics better than most and let it be.

"Let's hope the court is empty," Aomine said, "I don't want to share today."

The words had barely left his mouth as they turned a corner that a flash of yellow caught his eye. One – no, _two_ – two figures were stretching themselves inside the court, as if just about to enter into a game. Two figures – Kise Ryota and Kuroko Tetsuya.

"I thought Kise was supposed to be in Kanagawa?"

That was the first thing that came out of Aomine's mouth and then Momoi was tearing across the court, ready to jump at Tetsu. Aomine wondered where her inhibitions went, thinking whether Tetsu was _their_ Tetsu or a different Tetsu, but then he figured that Satsuki would still jump him regardless.

"Momoi-san." Tetsu's bland expression was expected, the slight surprise in his eyes was not.

Aomine narrowed his eyes – why the surprise? Was it his Tetsu? Or was it the new Tetsu that might or might not be their friend?

"Aominechhi! Momoichhi!" Kise was beaming, "How come you're here?"

"Oh, we're here to practice too," Momoi said, pulling her face away from Tetsu's shoulder. She still clung onto him, not minding the light sweat, as she hesitated to say anything more. Giving a pleading glance at Aomine, she said, "Dai-chan and I didn't expect to see you here. And isn't Ki-chan supposed to be in Kanagawa?"

"Ah, yes," Kise scratched his head, laughing lightly, "I came over to practice a bit with Kurokochhi –"

"Aomine-kun."

Aomine's eyes snapped towards him, "Tetsu."

The other two stopped, falling silent.

The pale blue haired teen looked carefully at his friend, not dislodging Momoi from where she clutched at his arm, "It felt nice…"

The phrase was odd; so odd that both Momoi and Kise turned to look at them with confused expressions; but Aomine remembered it despite the fact that he had been half-asleep then. Kuroko rarely spoke of something that 'felt nice', so when he did, it stuck in Aomine's memory.

"Your first national win?" Aomine grinned now and Tetsu answered it with his own.

Immediately figuring it out, Momoi let out a huge squeal, hugging Tetsu once more, "Then, Ki-chan too?"

"Yeah," Kise nodded dumbly, surprised at the turn of events before smirking, "Looks like that's four of us, now, isn't it?"

"What are the odds the others are in the same predicament?" Momoi asked, smiling as she let go of Tetsu to hug Kise.

"No idea," Kuroko replied, face neutral as he bumped fists with his light.

Aomine could still make out the happiness in his eyes though and he nudged Kuroko teasingly. Kuroko simply retaliated with a jab under his ribs that had the ace grimacing with pain as he doubled over. Kise laughed out loud at their usual interaction before slapping Aomine in the back as a greeting. Aomine slung an arm around his shoulders and idly commented that Kise had grown taller.

For a moment, it all seemed normal. It was still them, hanging out together on a basketball court, laughing and joking together. Perfectly normal. And had it not been for the absence of three of their number, it would have been so, too.

* * *

 **AN: So? How was this? And did Aomine's pov come out right?**

 **Also, anyone wondering why Aomine and Momoi could see Kuroko so quickly, it was because they saw Kise first and he was helping him stretch. Plus, Momoi seems to find him and squeeze him to death all the time anyway :P And you can say Aomine is much more in tune with his shadow than in canon.**

 **I hope you guys are liking this! Please let me know, alright? A small review doesn't take much long, but greatly encourages me! So, a review, please?  
**

 **.**

 **To Lalalu Thanks for reviewing! If only it was a single worded expression, I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

 **To guest - Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the story and that all are 'in character', so to say :) Yes, high school life is certainly going to be difficult, in more ways than one! Hope you liked this chapter too! :)**


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